I think Carmel would benefit from having a Teen Court program, like other cities and towns across the United States. Currently, there are over 1000 such programs in almost every state in the nation, including several in Indiana. What is Teen Court? Youth courts (also called teen, peer, and student courts) are programs in which youth sentence their peers for minor delinquent and status offenses and other problem behaviors. The programs are designed to reduce recidivism for first-time juvenile offenders by giving them a second chance to repair the harm they have caused without experiencing formal court prosecution. You can learn more about such courts at http://www.youthcourt.net and http://www.reachforyouth.org/teenCourtSched.php.

If elected, I promise to work with the appropriate people in Carmel and Hamilton County to determine if such a court could be established and, if it can, to make it happen.